Thomas Maurerhttp://www.thomasmaurer.ch
Cloud and VirtualizationThu, 30 Jul 2015 18:41:09 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3Move multipe Hyper-V Virtual Machines with Live Storage Migration via Windows PowerShellhttp://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/move-multipe-hyper-v-virtual-machines-with-live-storage-migration-via-windows-powershell/
http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/move-multipe-hyper-v-virtual-machines-with-live-storage-migration-via-windows-powershell/#commentsThu, 30 Jul 2015 18:41:09 +0000http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/?p=5587Read More]]>Well I was working in on a Private Cloud Deployment where we had some temporary storage for our Hyper-V Virtual Machines and after we got the right storage ready, which was btw a Windows Server Scale-Out File Server Cluster running with Storage Spaces and DataON JBOD chassis, we had to migrate the storage of all virtual machines running on our Hyper-V hosts. Since Windows Server 2012 offers Live Storage Migration which allows us to move the Virtual Machine to a different storage location without downtime we would use that. But if you have to move around 20 virtual machines you think twice if you want to move that via the Hyper-V Manager GUI or Windows PowerShell.

Here is a pretty simple PowerShell foreach loop which moves the storage of all virtual machines running on the Hyper-V host.

]]>http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/move-multipe-hyper-v-virtual-machines-with-live-storage-migration-via-windows-powershell/feed/0Veeam Vanguard 2015http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/veeam-vanguard-2015/
http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/veeam-vanguard-2015/#commentsMon, 27 Jul 2015 15:01:10 +0000http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/?p=7353Read More]]>Today Veeam announced the Veeam Vanguard Program for the first time, and I am proud to announce that I am one of the first Veeam Vanguards in 2015.

A Veeam Vanguard represents the Veeam brand to the highest level in many of the different technology communities in which Veeam engages. These individuals are chosen for their acumen, engagement and style in their activities on and offline.

I am really proud to be part of this. This is my thirds technology award, after being a Microsoft MVP and Cisco Champion for some years now.

At SCU Europe 2015 I have again the great honor to speak together with some other great community leaders about the Microsoft Cloud and Datacenter solutions.

My Sessions at SCU Europe 2015:

Nano Server the next generation of Cloud Server in your datacenter

In this session we will walk you through how Nano Server is changing the fundamental way we look at fabric Servers and workloads. Nano Server will change the way we build servers and solve fundamental challenges which we have encountered over the pact years embracing cloud fundamentals. Speaking together with Kristian Nese (Microsoft MVP)

What’s new in Windows Server 2016 for Hyper-V

With Windows Server 2016 Microsoft adds again exiting features to its Virtualization Platform. Learn in this session what Shielded VMs, Rolling Cluster Upgrades, Storage Spaces Direct, Hyper converged, PowerShell Direct, Windows Containers, and much more is and how you can profit from these new technologies. Speaking together with Carsten Rachfahl (Microsoft MVP)

Azure Site Recovery, 365 days later

Disaster Recovery, everyone talks about it – everyone claims they have it! But does it really work as expected?! Join us in the session about Azure Site Recovery, the business continuity service from Microsoft for all cloud platforms, on-premise – service providers – public cloud. You will learn how your company or customers can use ASR in their datacenter and which new scenarios have been added in the last 365 days, since we presented this topic at SCU 2014. Speaking together with Michel Lüscher (Microsoft)

There are a lot of other great sessions as well, so make sure you get your ticket!

]]>http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/speaking-at-system-center-universe-europe-2015/feed/0The best Windows 10 Features – Why you will love Windows 10http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/the-best-windows-10-features-why-you-will-love-windows-10/
http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/the-best-windows-10-features-why-you-will-love-windows-10/#commentsMon, 20 Jul 2015 09:31:52 +0000http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/?p=7279Read More]]>Since the first release of the Windows 10 Preview in the Insider program, I was using the Technical previews on my Surface Pro 3, and it is great how Microsoft is improving Windows 10 over the last several months based on research and feedback from the Windows Insider program.

Microsoft Edge

With Windows 10 Microsoft released a new browser called Microsoft Edge (before Project Spartan) which is amazing fast and brings a lot of new features to the table such as Cortana Integration, Web notes which allow you basically draw your notes on websites and share them and Microsoft also promised to allow browser extensions. Secret: you can also switch from a Light Theme to a Dark Theme.

Task View & Virtual Desktop

Most of the IT Pros reading this blog already knew about Task view in previous version of Windows using WIN + TAB, but only a few other users did know about this features. Microsoft not only improved the Task view, Microsoft also promoted it much better with an icon in the Taskbar.

In Windows 10 WIN + TAB does not only offer you Task View it also allows you to create and switch between Virtual Desktops. With Virtual Desktops you can now finally create multiple workspaces on your PC, which should bring you the productivity boost you need. Secret: You can switch between different Desktops using the Shortcut: CTRL + WIN + ARROW (LEFT and RIGHT).

Hyper-V

Microsoft build Hyper-V directly into the Windows Client since Windows 8. This is great if you want to run Virtual Machines on your Windows Client. Windows 10 Client Hyper-V brings you the great performance and features Windows Server 2016 Hyper-V will bring you. Of course some features are only available in the server build of Hyper-V, but you get some great features such as Enhanced Session mode to copy & past between your PC and your Virtual Machine. Secret: Windows 10 will allow you to run Hyper-V and use Connected Standby at the same time.

Action Center

In Windows 10 the Charms bar from Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 is gone. But you get the new Action Center which you may know from Windows Phone. This will not only show the latest notifications it also allows you to use some great shortcuts for some settings. Secret: You can directly open a new note in OneNote from the Action Center.

Cortana

If you were already a Windows Phone user, you may already know your personal digital assistant called Cortana. Cortana will help you with several daily tasks like a real personal assistant. Cortana will help you to remind meetings, send mails, look up things, show you the right time when you have to leave for your flight or your next appointment. Cortana will also integrate with Office 365 to get more information about your work life and for example meeting information. Cortana will also be available at your Xbox which will make it available everywhere you are, if you are working in the office on your notebook, if you are on the road with your phone or if you are in the living room playing on your Xbox or watching TV. Secret: You can setup a feature called Hey Cortana, so you only have to say “Hey Cortana” and Cortana will open up on your PC without pressing a key.

PowerShell

Windows 10 comes with PowerShell v5 which will bring some great new features to PowerShell and for example a new module called Package Management which will help you to install and script software installs. Secret: You can change the PowerShell console background to be transparent.

Start Menu

Microsoft brings back the old school start menu as default, but with integrated Live Tiles. Secret: You can also switch to the full screen Start Menu even if you are not using the Tablet Mode if you like the full screen start menu from Windows 8 better.

Design

Finally, Microsoft worked hardly on the overall design of Windows. In Windows 8 we had this two different designs, from the new Windows 8 and the “old” Windows 7. Microsoft did finally cleanup things during the whole operating system.

Ecosystem and Universal Apps

A great thing about Windows 10 is that it is not only design for your desktop, it is finally a universal operating system, running on your PC, notebook, tablet, phone, Xbox One and other devices such as IoT devices. Using the same operating system also allows developers to use the same code on the several different platforms and make apps available everywhere.

Xbox Integration and Game Streaming

With Windows 10 Microsoft brings a new Xbox App for Windows 10 devices. The Xbox App will allow you to control your games, your Xbox Live account and also allows you to stream games from your Xbox One to your Windows 10 PC. You can also record and share PC game clips using the Xbox App. Secret: You can also power on and power off your Xbox directly from your Windows 10 PC, Tablet or Mobile.

Great improved Apps

Microsoft finally improved some of the internal apps such as the calculator app or the Alarm and Clock app, which has some great improvements and make the overall user experience way better. Secret: The new Alarm and Clock app allows you to compare different time zones.

New Unified Store

Windows 10 brings also a unified Store to all your Windows devices such as PCs or phones and it now includes not only apps, it also includes Movies, TV shows and Music. The new experience is great and it helps you to find apps better and get more information about it.

Microsoft Azure AD Integration

In this fast growing cloud world and the great story Microsoft has with Office 365 and Azure, you can now also integrate your devices in Azure Active Directory to manage them. Secret: During the setup you can choose if this is a personal or company device and choose with which account you want to sign it. But you can also add the Microsoft Account or your Azure Organization Account later to your device so you can use both personal data as well as corporate data at the same time.

Tablet Mode and Continuum

Microsoft did some great stuff for desktop users by adding multiple tweaks and features. But they did not forget about tablet users by adding Tablet Mode. This is great for 2-in-1 devices and lets user switch between desktop and tablet. With Continuum this can even happen automatically when you remove the keyboard from your devices Windows 10 asks you if you want to switch to tablet mode and back. Secret: In the Tablet Mode you also get a Back button, which will switch you back in the app history.

Maps App

The new Maps App in Windows 10 will not only bring you a great map experience with 3D Maps, traffic information and much more, it will also allow you to use it for turn-by-turn navigation. The Maps app is also a universal app which will also be available on Windows 10 Mobile. Secret: You can download maps and make them offline available.

HoloLens

Windows 10 does not only run on Desktops, laptops, tablets or Phones, it also runs on the new Microsoft HoloLens.

Snap View and Snap Assist

Since Windows 7 we all know about a feature in called Snap View which allows you to snap a window on the right or left side of your screen. Now you can snap Windows not only left or right you can also snap them in the different corners, so you can arrange up four Windows on your screen. With Snap Assist helps you to choose the different Windows on your screen. If you snap a window to the right, Windows 10 will automatically show you the rest of the windows you can snap to the left. Together with the Task View and Virtual Desktops, Snap View really makes Windows 10 to a productivity horse.

Battery Saver

If you already are a Windows Phone user, battery saver is a feature you may already know for quite some time, now Windows 10 got it too. Battery Saver allows you to save power on your notebook or tablet by changing some settings like background tasks and notifications as well as screen brightness. Secret: You can turn battery saver on and off manually or you can set it to a specific battery charge and it will turn on automatically, for example if the battery goes under 20%.

Privacy Settings and Control

Windows 10 not only improves productivity and security; it also lets you to fine tune the Privacy Settings.

Movies and TV Shows

The new Movies & TV app in Windows 10 lets you play, rent and buy videos and movies from your local drive or from the Windows Store. Windows 10 not only brings a new app, it also supports now .mkv files directly. Secret: You can simply use the “Cast to Device” feature to stream a video or music to a DLNA enabled device such as your TV or Xbox.

Personalization

Windows 10 brings some great options to personalize your PC.

Command Prompt update

Well to be honest the Command Prompt did not get a lot of attention during the past years, and most people do not even need it. But IT Pros do need it and Microsoft improved the command prompt and added normal copy and paste (CTRL + C and CTRL + V) to it. Secret: You can change the console background to be transparent.

Windows File Explorer and Quick Access

Windows Explorer got some great updates to improve productivity too. One of them is Quick Access, which will show you the latest folder and files you have worked on. Secret: You can also pin folders and files to the Quick Access view.

Windows Updates and Schedule Updates

Microsoft improved the update process and allows you now to schedule when updates are installed and the computer is rebooted. Secret: Windows 10 allows other PCs to download updates from other PCs in the network, so you not only have Windows Update as a source. If you have multiple PCs in your network, they will automatically get updates from each other’s to save bandwidth. Of course you can also disable this.

DirectX 12

Windows 10 also gets a new DirectX version, which will unlock new graphics performance for games and applications. It also should lower power consumption during games.

Windows Hello

Windows Hello will bring you a new level of security. It will allow you not only to sign in via finger print reader it will also allow you to sign in into your Windows PC using a special camera which recognizes your face. This makes you not always type your password into your machine, which improves security.

Unified Settings

With the design cleanup in Windows 10 Microsoft also created a new unified settings app where mostly all the settings from Control Panel are available now. Secret: You can open the settings app via Start Menu or Action Center.

Contact Support app

The Contact Support app is integrated right into Windows 10. This makes it easy for users to request support from Microsoft directly.

Phone Companion

The Phone Companion app helps you connect your phone to your Windows 10 ecosystem and helps you set up your phone. Secret: The Phone Companion App does not only work with Windows Phone or Windows 10 Mobile, it also helps Android and iOS users.

OneDrive Integration

OneDrive is everywhere. As in Windows 8, OneDrive is connected to everything and helps you to sync and backup settings and files between devices using the Microsoft Cloud. OneDrive in Windows 10 got a new sync engine which improves sync and offline availability of files. You now have to choose which folders are synced to your device. Secret: With Windows 10 Microsoft also broth back a feature called “Fetch my files on this devices”. If you enable this feature on your Windows 10 PC, you can access the files on this PC from anywhere using the OneDrive web portal on OneDrive.com

Groove Music

In Windows 8 Microsoft released a great service called Xbox Music. With Windows 10 Microsoft improved the Music app and renamed the service and apps to Groove Music. Secret: Groove Music lets you also play Music which you have stored on your OneDrive using streaming.

Photos App

The new Photos App in Windows 10 also brings some great improvements, it not only fetches pictures from your local pc and OneDrive, it also includes a lot of new editing features and filters. Secret: The Photos App has a new and powerful auto enhancement feature included, which will enhance your pictures and make them look even better. Of course it does not change the original, you can always go back to that version.

Office Mobile

With Windows 10 Microsoft also releases some new Office Mobile apps for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile. These apps are great, especially if you are using them with touch. You also get some great new productivity apps which are not included in the Office Suite but directly in Windows 10 like a new Outlook Mail and Calendar app, which have some great productivity improvements.

Insider Program

Event Windows 10 is RTM now, Microsoft is going to improve Windows 10 and add new features. You still can be part of the Windows Insider program to get new versions first and give some feedback.

]]>http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/the-best-windows-10-features-why-you-will-love-windows-10/feed/5MCSD: Azure Solutions Architecthttp://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/mcsd-azure-solutions-architect/
http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/mcsd-azure-solutions-architect/#commentsMon, 13 Jul 2015 12:59:31 +0000http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/?p=7264Read More]]>Today I just passed the last Microsoft Azure exam for the MCSD: Azure Solutions Architect. Since I focus on Microsoft technology I always try to be certified in the specific areas where I am focused. With Public and Hybrid Cloud scenarios becoming more and more important, I started to work with Microsoft Azure and other Microsoft Cloud Services such as Office 365, so it made sense to learn more about the solutions and earn the certifications. For the Azure part, Microsoft has a certification called MCSD: Azure Solutions Architect which includes three different exam:

70-532 (Developing Microsoft Azure Solutions)

70-533 (Implementing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions)

70-534 (Architecting Microsoft Azure Solutions)

I already go 70-533 at the beginning of this year, since this was the topic I was working with for quite some time. With Developer and DevOps scenarios becoming more and more important, I decided to prepare also for 70-532, which is focused on the Developer site of Azure, and the 70-534, which is an overall architecture exam. Bringing IT Pro and Developer skills together in this Cloud focused world, makes totally sense. IT Pros will have to learn some basic developer skills to make sure they can keep up with the fast moving cloud world. I am proud the be the second certified MCSD: Azure Solutions Architect within itnetX, after Marcel Zehner. This shows our strong focus, knowledge and commitment to the Microsoft Cloud Strategy. If you want to do the exams as well, here are some recommendations:

Get a Microsoft Azure Subscription and start playing and testing. Btw, this is something you should have done a while ago.

Learn PowerShell, well I have been saying this for years now, learn PowerShell and get some knowledge on that topic, even if it’s not Azure related.

Install Visual Studio. Yes you will need this in the future, not just for the exams.

Check out the Microsoft Certification page and learn about the exams and which skills are measured. Login to Azure and start working with these topics. To be honest, it doesn’t take a lot of time to build some demos.

Check out the Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA) courses. Microsoft offers some great exam preparations and courses with several hours of video content, examples and preparation questions.

With that you will not only pass the exams, you will also learn a lot about how things are going to work in the future.

]]>http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/mcsd-azure-solutions-architect/feed/0Microsoft Remote Desktop Preview App for Windows 10http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/microsoft-remote-desktop-preview-app-for-windows-10/
http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/microsoft-remote-desktop-preview-app-for-windows-10/#commentsSat, 11 Jul 2015 19:33:23 +0000http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/?p=7258Read More]]>Yesterday Microsoft announced a new Remote Desktop Preview app for Windows 10 Universal Windows Platform (UWP) on the Remote Desktop Services Blog. You can get and download from the Windows Store. The new Remote Desktop Preview app has a connection center to manage your connections to Windows Clients and Windows Server. The connection center is your starting point. It allows you to easily manage your desktops. You can add new desktop connections and edit or delete existing connections. Selecting one of the desktop tiles launches the connection. It’s great to see Microsoft finally creating some great Apps for their own Universal Windows Platform.

]]>http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/microsoft-remote-desktop-preview-app-for-windows-10/feed/0List of Recommend Hotfixes and Updates for Hyper-V Network Virtualization (HNV)http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/list-of-recommend-hotfixes-and-updates-for-hyper-v-network-virtualization-hnv/
http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/list-of-recommend-hotfixes-and-updates-for-hyper-v-network-virtualization-hnv/#commentsFri, 10 Jul 2015 08:26:20 +0000http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/?p=7254Read More]]>I already made some post where I list the websites to recommended hotfixes and updates for Clusters, Hyper-V and File Server such as the Scale-Out File Server for Hyper-V over SMB. Now Microsoft also has an official list for Recommended hotfixes, updates, and known solutions for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V Network Virtualization (HNV) environments. Which will list hotfixes for Hyper-V, Windows Server and System Center related to Network Virtualization.

]]>http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/list-of-recommend-hotfixes-and-updates-for-hyper-v-network-virtualization-hnv/feed/1Take a Microsoft Azure Virtual Datacenter Tourhttp://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/take-a-microsoft-azure-virtual-datacenter-tour/
http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/take-a-microsoft-azure-virtual-datacenter-tour/#commentsWed, 08 Jul 2015 14:58:40 +0000http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/?p=7250Read More]]>Microsoft delivers cloud services on an infrastructure that includes a global portfolio of datacenters, servers, content distribution networks, edge computing nodes, and fiber optic networks. Microsoft experts work 24x7x365 to design, build, manage, and support Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure, which operates 200 services for more than one billion customers and 20 million businesses in more than 90 countries worldwide.

If you never had the chance to visit a Microsoft Azure datacenter you have the chance to do this virtually. On the Microsoft Cloud Platform website you can checkout the Cloud Services Datacenter Tour. This gives an view of how Microsoft operates his datacenters and how they secure your hosted data.

]]>http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/take-a-microsoft-azure-virtual-datacenter-tour/feed/0Judge at the Nutanix Coding Challengehttp://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/judge-at-the-nutanix-coding-challenge/
http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/judge-at-the-nutanix-coding-challenge/#commentsFri, 03 Jul 2015 11:16:05 +0000http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/?p=7244Read More]]>Nutanix just announced the PowerShell Coding Challenge for your Nutanix environment. The challenge will be to build a script which solves a real world problem in these use cases: Provisioning/orchestration, reporting, data protection, disaster recovery and runbook automation.

Do you have what it takes to write the best script for a Nutanix environment? Find out by participating in the inaugural Total Recode challenge. This global contest gives you a platform for showcasing your best talent. May the most creative, badass coding guru win!

Want to get more familiar with the Nutanix product and test your script? Check out the Nutanix Prism APIs and our recently announced Community Edition software.

]]>http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/judge-at-the-nutanix-coding-challenge/feed/0The Windows 10 IoT Core web interfacehttp://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/the-windows-10-iot-core-web-interface/
http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2015/07/the-windows-10-iot-core-web-interface/#commentsWed, 01 Jul 2015 14:51:26 +0000http://www.thomasmaurer.ch/?p=7227Read More]]>If you have successfully installed Windows 10 IoT Core on your IoT device, for exmaple the Raspberry Pi 2, you can browse the device using a web interface to get some more information. If you don’t know the IP address or name of your device you can use the Windows 10 IoT Core Watcher to find your device on the network.